Today’s excerpt is from Horace
Goes Home, Book #2 of the Bader Trilogy. Elmer and Ruth working on trying to dry out
the drunk who is the only witness to the murders in the case Elmer is working. Enjoy and have a fantastic day.
m.j.
Horace shook his
head in dismay, but did hurry as much as a drunk with an urge to drink rather
than eat possibly could. When he made
his way slowly into the kitchen, he saw Lizzie.
She was introduced by Elmer.
After the introduction, Lizzie asked, “Do you work with Daddy?”
Elmer nodded,
“In a way, dear—in a way. Horace will be
staying with us for a while, so treat him like the nice person he is. Ignore Mommy when she gets after him about
things…he doesn’t know what a bully Mommy is.”
“Mommy’s not a
bully. She just runs things.”
Ruth rolled her
eyes as she continued pouring orange juice.
When she got to Horace’s glass to pour his share of orange juice, she
looked directly at him with a look daring him not to drink it. He just sighed, so Ruth’s look changed to a
smile before she hurried to help with the toast, as Elmer headed toward the
table with the eggs. He had taken pity
on Horace by making scrambled eggs, so Horace didn’t have to look at a sunny
side up egg in his condition. Ruth
finished the toast, then set the plate of toast on the table. Elmer came back with the bacon, so soon
everyone was eating…including Horace—though he went at his meal much slower,
fearful of not being able to hold it down.
Lizzie noticed
his hand shaking as he ate. She climbed
determinedly up on the table as she reached over to pat him on the arm. “Don’t be afraid…Mommy really isn’t a
bully…Daddy just calls her that when he wants to get out of something.”
Elmer smiled and
sighed at the same time. Horace nearly
cried.
Lizzie asked,
“Daddy, are you and Mommy trying really hard to get me a little brother? You know…with sex.”
Elmer had a
mouthful of food. He nearly spit it
out. Ruth smiled. Horace almost laughed. Elmer nodded, “We’re doing our best,
sweetheart. For now, you’ll just have to
treat Alan as your little brother.”
“But, Daddy—he’s
only a bit younger than me. I want a
nice little baby.”
Ruth, finished
with her meal, hurried to the sink with her plate, silverware, and glass, with
a smile, trying hard not to let it turn into full-scale laughter. Elmer nodded again, “We’ll try, sweetheart. Now, hurry up and finish—Daddy has to go to
work. We still have our workout to do.”
Lizzie nodded,
then stuck a mouthful of food in her mouth, and hurried to eat it. After swallowing, she asked, “Are you going
to work out, Horace?”
Horace, who was
nearing the point of throwing up, started to answer when Ruth smiled, “Yes,
dear—he is. So hurry up and eat. No more questions until you’re all finished.”
Horace nearly died inside at this news, but put the last
bite of food in his mouth. He somehow
got it down, helped by his last swallow of orange juice.
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